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Be More Chill (Musical)
Be More Chill is an American musical production written by Joe Tractz with lyrics and songs by Joe Iconis, based on the 2004 novel of the same name written by Ned Vizzini. The musical ran during 2015 at the Two Bank Theater in Red Bank, New Jersey, and then later during 2018 Off-Broadway at the Signature Theatre and is currently on at the Lyceum Theatre on Broadway, Synopsis Act One Jeremy Heere, a high school junior in suburban New Jersey, heads off to school. Avoiding interaction with his peers he meets up with his best friend for lunch, Michael Mell. Jeremy, pining after his crush Christine Canigula, signs up for the school play in an attempt to get closer to her. He laments his status as a social outcast and begs for someone to teach him how to be cool (“More Than Survive”). At rehearsal that afternoon, Jeremy strikes up a conversation with Christine, who tells him about her love of the stage (“I Love Play Rehearsal”). Jeremy runs into school bully Rich Goranski; however, instead of harassing him, Rich tells Jeremy how he became more self-confident and improved his social standing: he took a pill called a “super quantum unit intel processor,” or “SQUIP.” The SQUIP is a supercomputer that implants itself in the host's brain and tells them how to act cool. Rich tells Jeremy that he should get one (“The SQUIP Song”). While they play video games that night, Jeremy confides in Michael about his conversation with Rich. Michael is skeptical of the SQUIP and reassures Jeremy that he will always be his friend ("Two Player Game"), but they decide to visit Rich's dealer. Jeremy purchases a SQUIP and takes it with Mountain Dew as instructed. Not feeling the effects immediately, Jeremy runs into Christine and Jake and attempts to admit his feelings to Christine, right when the SQUIP activates (“The SQUIP Enters”). The SQUIP immediately sizes up Jeremy and tells him that it will change everything about him— looks, personality, social standing, because as it stands now, Jeremy is utterly pathetic (“Be More Chill 1”). While buying a shirt at the SQUIP's command, Jeremy runs into Brooke Lohst and Chloe Valentine, two popular girls from school, who offer him a ride home from the mall (“Do You Wanna Ride?”). However, against the SQUIP's insistence that he take up their offer, Jeremy leaves to find Michael— only for the SQUIP to tell him that Michael already left the mall. Seeing what happened when he ignored the SQUIP, Jeremy vows to become more obedient (“Be More Chill 2”). Realizing that he is grateful to have someone helping him out, Jeremy heads to school the next morning with renewed confidence (“More Than Survive Reprise”). At rehearsal that afternoon, Christine is snubbed by Jake, and the students begin to rehearse their zombie-apocalypse-set version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. During a break, Christine tells Jeremy about her feelings for a guy she knows. While Jeremy initially believes she is talking about him, Christine is actually talking about Jake (“A Guy That I’d Kinda Be Into”). After rehearsal, Jeremy’s SQUIP informs him that Christine won’t consider dating him until his social standing drastically improves. The SQUIP encourages Jeremy to meet up with Brooke, who is interested in him, to use as a stepping stone to popularity. Also at the SQUIP's recommendation, Jeremy purposefully ignores Michael, who the SQUIP views as a link to “Jeremy 1.0” (“Upgrade”). Act Two Act Two begins a few weeks later at Jake’s Halloween party (“Halloween”). Jeremy, in a cyborg costume, arrives and meets Brooke, who is dressed as a sexy dog. Jealous of Brooke, Chloe (dressed as a sexy baby) takes Jeremy to an upstairs bedroom and tries to seduce him. While Jeremy is clearly not interested, the SQUIP does not let him resist and makes him kiss her (“Do You Wanna Hang?”) The SQUIP suddenly begins trying to warn Jeremy of something, but it can only speak Japanese, a side effect of Jeremy’s alcohol consumption. Jake discovers Chloe (his ex) with Jeremy and explodes with anger, chasing them off. Jeremy runs into a bathroom to escape and finds Michael, furious at Jeremy’s abandonment of him. Michael says that he has attempted to research the SQUIP and warns Jeremy about how dangerous it is— Michael discovered that a previous student took one and while it improved his life for a little while, he landed in a mental hospital after “going crazy trying to get it out!” Jeremy, thinking that Michael is just jealous of his newfound popularity, storms out, calling him a loser. Michael locks himself in the bathroom and mourns the loss of his friendship with Jeremy, culminating in a full-blown panic attack (“Michael in the Bathroom”). Chloe and Jake have reunited, leaving their dates (Jeremy and Christine) to commiserate about their terrible nights in the living room. Jeremy gains the courage to ask Christine out, but she rejects him. Rich searches for Mountain Dew Red, becoming increasingly desperate. The SQUIP, once again functional now that Jeremy has sobered up, reappears and demands that Jeremy leave the party immediately. The next morning, school gossip Jenna Rolan texts everyone with the news: Jake’s house burned down in a fire during the party— a fire set by Rich —and both of them are in the hospital. The news spreads like wildfire throughout the student body (“The Smartphone Hour Set a Fire”). Jeremy asks his SQUIP if it had known that there would be a fire. The SQUIP evades the question, instead revealing its master plan— to put SQUIPs in the entire student body (“The Pitiful Children”), starting with Jeremy’s castmates in the play. At home, Jeremy is confronted by his father. Mr. Heere wants to know why Jeremy’s personality has changed so drastically. Jeremy reprimands his father for acting like he cares, when Mr. Heere’s entire life has been on pause since he and Jeremy’s mother divorced, to the point where Mr. Heere does not even put on pants anymore. Jeremy storms out, and, shaken by his son’s words, Mr. Heere realizes that something is wrong, and that he must take charge and help his son. He tracks down Michael and convinces him to not give up on his friendship with Jeremy (“The Pants Song”). Meanwhile at the school, the play is beginning. Backstage, Jeremy tells Christine about the SQUIP. Christine tells Jeremy that she doesn’t need a pill to figure out life for her and storms off. Mr. Reyes, the play’s director, brings out a prop— a beaker of Mountain Dew, with SQUIP pills already inside of it. Jeremy suddenly realizes that the entire cast, including Mr. Reyes, have been SQUIP'ed without realizing it. Jeremy’s SQUIP tells him that “it’s going to improve Jeremy’s life, even if has to take over the entire student body to do it!” Jeremy suddenly remembers Rich’s frantic search for Mountain Dew Red at the party, and realizes what it means— regular green Mountain Dew activates a SQUIP, and Mountain Dew Red shuts it off. Unfortunately, as Jeremy's SQUIP informs him, Mountain Dew Red was discontinued in the 1990's. Michael suddenly appears, holding a bottle of Mountain Dew Red (he buys "old-school" things, such as drinks). A battle ensues as Jeremy and Michael try to make everyone drink the Mountain Dew, and they are eventually successful in destroying the SQUIPS once and for all (“The Play”). Jeremy wakes up in the hospital after the play, in the same room as Rich. Rich, in the absence of his SQUIP, has realized that he never really needed it to be happy, and he looks forward to showing the world his true self. Mr. Heere and Michael arrive to visit Jeremy. Jeremy gets advice on how to ask Christine out on a real date and realizes that he will always have voices in his head, but it is up to him to ensure that his own voice — keeping him true to himself — must be the loudest (“Voices in My Head”). Cast Track Listing ; Act 2 * "Halloween” – Brooke, Jake, Chloe, Rich, Jenna, Company * "Do You Wanna Hang?"– Chloe * "Michael in the Bathroom" – Michael * "The Smartphone Hour" – Jenna, Chloe, Brooke, Ensemble * "The Pitiful Children” – Squip, Jenna, Ensemble * "The Pants Song" – Mr. Heere, Michael * "The Play" – Michael, Jake, Brooke, Chloe, Jeremy, Christine, Ensemble * "Voices in My Head" – Jeremy, Christine, Ensemble